Seattle traffic news including Seattle traffic maps and traffic cams, WSDOT news, Seattle bus and public transportation updates and more

Note: This is a seattlepi.com reader blog. It is not written or edited by the P-I. The authors are solely responsible for content. E-mail us at newmedia@seattlepi.com if you consider a post inappropriate..

Bellevue debate delays Eastlink light rail by another year

Building East Link light rail to Bellevue and Overlake likely will take at least a year longer than originally estimated, with an opening date now pegged in early 2022 or 2023, Sound Transit’s governing board was informed Thursday.

The extension of light rail from Seattle to the Eastside was planned to open in 2021. It would open at the latest completion date if Sound Transit opts to tunnel through downtown Bellevue instead of running trains at-grade, project manager Don Billen said.

The delay is due to the heated and lengthy debate over what route trains should follow into downtown Bellevue. Sound Transit prefers a route that hooks north from the Interstate 90 floating bridge and travels along 112th Avenue Southeast, stopping at the South Bellevue Park and Ride before it reaches downtown.

But a majority of the Bellevue City Council prefers what’s been dubbed the “B7R” route, which would cross the Mercer Slough and stay out of residential areas in south Bellevue. Instead, it would run through an old Burlington Northern Santa Fe corridor. Arup North America, a transportation consultant hired by the city to do more engineering work, found the city’s preferred route would cost an extra $150 million.

“Right now we’re overwhelmed by delays in the decision-making process,” Billen said.

There also is a chasm between the two sides on what to do through downtown. The city wants a tunnel through downtown, so trains don’t mess up city streets and traffic, and is negotiating with Sound Transit on how to share costs. A tunnel would add about $200 million to the price tag.

Sound Transit board members on Thursday sounded ready to set a deadline soon for choosing a final preferred route. The project will cost between $2.5 billion and $2.7 billion.

Sound Transit’s subarea equity policy requires funds raised in one area to be spent in that area. Light rail won’t get to Federal Way by 2023 as planned and probably not for decades, if ever.

“We have this perception in south King County… that the rich get richer while the working class ( in south King County) get the shaft,” Federal Way Mayor Skip Priest said at the meeting.

Sound Transit isn’t fully closing the door on Federal Way and likely will do conceptual analysis of possible alignments to the city. But right now, planners think they’ll only build the line to a terminus near Highline Community College.

In terms of costs, the East Link line to Bellevue will be anywhere from $40 million to $140 million cheaper than originally thought, according to the latest engineering estimates.

But Sound Transit won’t actually save any money due to the overall budget shortfall. Sound Transit expects a budget gap between $30 million and $300 million on the project, depending on whether the tunnel is built.

Note: This is a seattlepi.com reader blog. It is not written or edited by the P-I. The authors are solely responsible for content. E-mail us at newmedia@seattlepi.com if you consider a post inappropriate..